Small Price To Pay

A LETTER writer who protested U.S. appellate courts' overturning jury verdicts in criminal cases would do away with the checks and balances of this country's jurisprudence.

She would allow one trial with no reprieve, which means that a possibly innocent person could go to the electric chair or spend time in prison.

This is what justice means in Russia, China and Cuba -- it is called totalitarianism -- and whether or not the verdict is correct, it's also final. The U.S. system is a small price to pay to protect the innocent. So if a jury's verdict is overturned by an appellate court or thrown out by a judge, it is because of a serious error. Jurors should be more tolerant of a person's right to a fair trial -- they may need the same justice one day.

The United States has the most complete justice system in history. It's not always right but it's fair.